Surviving a Season of Great Work: Mom Life

After a stressful week of parenting and homeschooling, I was telling my husband, one day, about how often it happens that I am trying to get the kids through their school work when something else comes up to distract, even good, or educational, things. I was telling him it is so frustrating because we homeschool, so these other things should be doable, but there’s always something…..an educational show, or game, a trip to the library, co-op, field trips, unseasonably warm days….just to name a few. But by the time the normal distractions of life interfere (kids being kids, resisting work, distracted by baby brother…), you attend co-op, have a warm day then someone gets sick…..before you know it, ‘school’ hasn’t happened for a few days! I know this is going to get me booed by many in the homeschool world, but I’m still of the mindset that the work has to happen. Yes, life is learning. Yes, they still gain life skills, and more, during these other activities, but with five kids, I could use that reasoning on the daily and never get through their math books! I went on in my ranting, that on top of that, I’m also trying to write, I occasionally like a quiet minute to read and enjoy an afternoon coffee, and I’m really frustrated that one of the first things to go when life is harried, is my weekly trip to the gym!

… as I was telling Scott about these frustrations, he reminded me of a verse in Nehemiah 6 verse 3, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it…” Now, you’d need to read Nehemiah to understand fully the context, but he had set out to rebuild the wall in Jerusalem and was facing opposition to his task. The enemies were trying to lure him down to ‘talk’ about the rebuilding saying that it had been said around town, that he was rebuilding to rebel and set himself as king, which was not true, and Nehemiah knew they were just trying to distract his work, and weaken the hearts of those helping him, so his response, “I am doing a great work….” is a profoundly simple, and aware statement that I have been mulling around in my brain ever since our talk.

I’m not building a wall, but I am trying to build up children. I’m trying to educate them, instill a love of learning, train them in the way they should go (Proverbs 22), properly discipline them in love (help me Jesus), correct them repeatedly (pray for patience), have fun with them, feed them (need a gofundme), tend house, write a book and be an attentive wife, and if I let them, the many wonderful distractions that come faster and faster (remember Kaboom?) could keep me from this job, from “doing this great work”.

Mommin

I use the NKJV of the Women’s Study Bible, and in my reading this morning in 1 Samuel, there’s an author excerpt about Leadership, specifically the leadership of women, these two lines stood out to me, that I felt God spoke directly into this subject:

People (children) must consistently be more important than tasks. Self-sacrifice, gentleness, service without expected reward, patience, kindness, nurturing of relationships, mercy.

Does that not define parenthood? This speaks so much life to me. This busy, frustrating, exhausting season will be over in a flash. I know it. Every parent of teenagers will tell you, and every newly empty nester will say the silence is deafening as it feels that just yesterday you were singing the ABC’s. But it doesn’t take away the trials in the moment. We are still distracted. I am still selfishly wanting time to myself, and the kids still frustrate me, but….I AM DOING A GREAT WORK. This is a season, and God has called me to it. When I submit myself fully to it, I find the time I have with my kids, or the time I do spend writing, or the ‘me time’ I happen to find in the middle of the day, are far more rewarding. I find I am better able to manage our appointments, extra curriculars and outings, and still get the work done. I find my kids are much more receptive to me when I am fully engaged with them….when they know they are my most important work today.

It got to the point that Nehemiah and his workers were building with one hand and holding a sword with the other, always ready to defend their great work, but never quitting. Perhaps if we let go of our responsibilities with one hand, and reached out for the God who gave them to us, He could better direct our steps.

Be blessed today and always, friends,

Jules